THE FURROWING of brows, the sweaty fore heads, the pained warning from the question master that if the contestants even look at each other, let alone attempt to confer, they will all have to be killed it can only mean that Challenging Times, the Irish Times/RTE televised quiz for third level colleges, is back on our screens.
With two first round battles over, we have said a reluctant farewell to both the University of Ulster and Queen's University Belfast. The UU team, consisting of Gerry Rees, Cora Clarke, Peadar McCaffrey and sub John Doherty, were participating in Challenging Times for the first time but were narrowly beaten 130 105 by the seasoned campaigners of Cork RTC (Ronan Cosgrove, Robert Hill, Jeremy Kelleher and Martin O'Keefe).
Meanwhile, Queen's University began its 151st year by bowing out of the competition after its team of Gerard Lynch, Keith Jacques, Declan Lawell and sub David Lewis encountered DCU, with Damian McEvoy, Michael Lonergan, Philip Mansfield and sub Patrick Martin. The score was 150 120 and the result should be particularly gratifying for Damian McEvoy, as much of a fixture on Challenging Times as the backdrop.
This week King's Inns face Sligo RTC, while next week former winners UCC face first time entrants from the Royal College of Surgeons. Challenging Times goes out Wednesday evenings at 8.30 p.m. on RTE 1. The question master is, as ever, the sartorially resplendent Kevin Myers.
